Hold On
by CourtneyEllen
Summary: She would never forget this particular night. Inspired by savedprincess85's Hold On. Major Character Death!


For QLFC Finals, SEEKER: Find the first submission from a team member this season (not your own!) and use their title as the title and inspiration of your own story. The first story from my team is Hold On by savedprincess85

Word Count: 1,627

* * *

Reading auras, in her opinion, had always been helpful in stressful situations. It was good to know if someone was close to exploding in rage or if they would crumble in tears. Though in this situation, Ginny wished she never had the so-called gift. Watching the vibrant orange of her husband dull into a pitch-black was the worst experience of her life.

With the occupation of an Auror, it was no rarity that Harry came home with various injuries that occurred during his missions. Despite all his protests, Harry was rather clumsy and caused those around him to worry—not just Ginny, but from Draco Malfoy, who was his partner in the field, as well.

That job had once been Ron's, but after he and Hermione had broken up, her brother had been rather angry with Harry for remaining friends with Hermione instead of shutting her out like he had expected Harry to do. Harry's choice had led to Ron leaving the Aurors entirely and hiding away in Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes with only George and their customers to keep him company. All attempts at mending Harry and Ron's friendship had died when Draco and Hermione had gotten married and Harry had been Draco's best man.

Ginny still loved her brother, but he was a dunderhead for letting a relationship ruin such old friendships.

Anyways, Harry coming home injured was no rarity, but this time was different. Draco and Harry had not come through the Floo, shoulders nudging playfully. There had been no smiles or comments on Harry's inability to learn how to use the Floo in a professional manner from the deep voice that was fonder than it was scolding. Hell, neither Draco or Harry had come through the Floo. Instead their Unit Chief, Gawain Robards had been the one to step through the fireplace with information that had brought Ginny to her knees.

She would never forget this particular night.

* * *

Waiting up for their husbands had become a usual activity for Ginny and Hermione. Since the two men were partners in the field and the two couples lived near each other, it made sense that they would Floo to the Potter household in Godric's Hollow and reconnect after long missions. Their kids futilely wait up for their fathers, but that desire was shot down immediately by the mothers. It was cute as always, but the two men usually did not return until late in the night—hence why Draco, Hermione, and their son had a room within Godric's Hollow—and neither woman was willing to put up with grumpy children in the morning.

"Shouldn't they be back by now?" asked Hermione, her usual crimson red aura spotted with a dark gray that gave away her concern. The older woman always worried about the two Aurors, as Draco was her husband and Harry was the closest to a brother she would ever have. Ginny worried sometimes about them as well, but it was not late enough to get worked up over it yet. The two Aurors probably got held up by Robards or stopped for a pint. She voiced this, getting up from the armchair and hooking her arm in Hermione's.

"You'll see, they'll come tumbling through the door soon enough and grovel for our forgiveness." Ginny smiled, pulling Hermione over to the window seat and switching on the radio, a Muggle invention that Harry had gotten for their home and that Ginny's father loved more than anything. It had a function to play a CD, something that Ginny still could not wrap her mind around, but it did not matter right now. The CD within the radio was one of Hermione's favorites by a band called The Beatles. "Lonely Hearts Club" or something like that.

The two women sat quietly letting the music play softly through the room. Ginny could see the effect it had on Hermione, calming the gray spots in her aura before the second song was even over. They sat for a long while, their feet tangled together and their eyes glued to the windows in an attempt to not worry over the fireplace, as they waited for any sign of their husbands.

"Good morning! Nothing to do to save his life, call his wife in."

Ginny began to get a bad feeling in her stomach, anxiously pulling at the threads on her pajama pants. They were old and had belonged to one of her brothers at some point and were much too long even for her. She imagined that her socks had belonged to one of her brothers as well, their clothing having been thrown around a lot when they'd all lived at the Burrow.

All thoughts of her clothing and who was the true owner came to a halt when the Floo came to life, and both women shot to their feet.

"Explain yourselves—" Hermione's scolding got cut off when it was not two, but one man at the mouth of Ginny's fireplace. His hair was neither blond nor black, and his face had a certain weariness to it that neither of their husbands' had. Ginny flicked her fingers to turn the radio off, her magic accidentally sending it flying across the room from the built-up nerves within her. The man standing across from them was Robards, their husbands' Unit Chief and any visit from him never turned out to be good news. He glanced at Hermione for a split second before his eyes focused on the redheaded woman. His aura was a collage of gray and red, nothing like Hermione's casual worry. No, there was fear and danger screaming in his aura.

"There has been an attack."

* * *

Let it be said that Ginny Potter was a terrifying woman even with tears streaking down her cheeks, wearing too-long pajama pants and mismatched socks. The second Robards had revealed that Harry had been taken to St Mungo's, she had dived through the Floo with the location forcing its way through her throat. She was sure that Hermione and Robards were right behind her, but with the pace, she was setting, they stood no chance of catching up with her.

"Ma'am! You can't go in there!" a nurse screeched as Ginny stormed through the hospital in search of her husband. With the occupation Harry had chosen, Ginny had not wanted to take any chances of losing him in the field. So the two of them had chosen to track each other's wedding rings, with the help of Draco who had found them a set deep within one of the Malfoy vaults. The ring would burn the closer it got to its pair, and it was how Ginny knew that her husband was in the critical unit, not in a suite like Robards had told her.

"The hell I can't! I'm his wife," Ginny roared, her magic flaring out dangerously, enough so that the nurse immediately backed away from her and let her continue her rampage towards Harry. Without the hindrance, Ginny found Harry's room swiftly and pushed the door open. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight that awaited her.

Black. The fiery orange of Harry's aura was turning black. Rapidly.

"No. No, no, no," Ginny whimpered, shooting towards her husband's side and grabbing ahold of his cheeks. His tanned skin—from the gardening that he enjoyed doing in their backyard when he was home—was already a sickly pale and felt taut with death. His glasses were missing, and he looked a lot younger than he was. He was only twenty-seven, but Merlin, he looked fifteen at that moment.

"The nurse said he doesn't have long," Draco's voice cut through her grief.

Ginny's head snapped up to look at him. The blond's usual purple aura was dimmed gray, and she noticed that Harry's glasses were hanging from his shirt collar, a habit he had picked up due to how often Harry lost his glasses, only for them to be found by Draco. Ginny let out a sob at the thought and the news. Her hands clenched into fists, and she slammed them against Harry's collarbone. His body did not move, and he did not stir.

"No, you can't leave! You are a father, Harry Potter, a husband! I need you, please! Hold on for me!" She sobbed, her fists hitting his chest again before Draco grabbed them with his own trembling hands. Ginny let out an anguished cry when Harry did not move. "He can't die…" she whimpered pathetically, wanting nothing more than to hide, but her eyes were drawn to the darkness that was taking over the orange. She was watching her husband die before her eyes.

"It was a Death Eater's curse. They attacked us when we were leaving the Ministry, and Harry jumped in front of me. I am so sorry, Gin."

Ginny paid no attention to Draco's words, her eyes glued to her husband. She let herself believe that it would be like one of those Muggle movies where the line went flat and then came back as strong as ever. Only there was no beeping Muggle machine, and this was no film. When the black encased Harry's body, and his chest stopped rising, Ginny let herself fall to the floor, her ring burning as an indication that the other wearer was no longer alive.

Arms wrapped around her, but she stared in resentment at the black aura. Tears fell in her hair and on her neck—and she was vaguely aware of them pouring down her own cheeks—but she felt empty. Her other half was dead. She did not even get to say goodbye. He had held on for so long through all of the trials and battles in his life, but he was unable to win this fight.


End file.
